Richard Woolfe's Dawn dream

Richard Woolfe, the shy, retiring type who, at a previous Sky1 programme launch, entertained hacks by bursting out of a large box, hasn't lost his limelight-hogging habits since joining Channel Five. At his first autumn launch for the channel last night at London's Hospital club, Woolfe appeared on a big screen in a homage to new US drama Flash Forward, in which the whole world has a premonition of what will happen to them in six months time. And what was Woolfe's vision? Cut to a shot of him in bed with Five chairman and chief executive Dawn Airey, with his naked derriere hanging out. Although it wasn't really his backside of course, but that of a lean mean Men's Health model who had to undergo a very strenuous full day's casting by very excited Five female staff.

Birthday presence

Five's leading talent were also at last night's do, including newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, who made it despite it being her birthday. Woolfe presented her with a gift, which prompted Kaplinsky to say she couldn't think of anywhere else she would rather be, surrounded by hundreds of her best friends. But as soon as the speeches were done, she scarpered. Ironic, moi?

Messenger's got the message

Five's new daily show, Live From Studio Five, in which Melinda Messenger, Ian Wright and The Apprentice's Kate Walsh will give their take on the day's news, launches on Monday at 6.30pm, with the potential to be really rather good – or an absolute car crash. Five insiders say daily as-live rehearsals have proved successful, with Messenger telling Monkey she can't wait to get going. "I didn't realise I had all of these opinions," she says. But is she told to be mouthy just for the sake of it? "We are allowed to say anything if we truly mean it," she says. Messenger adds that, despite never having met her co-stars before the show, the chemistry is good, although from clips Monkey has seen Walsh is going to have a tough time getting a word in edgeways with her motormouth co-stars.

Breaking news …

Monkey is concerned about one thing, however. What if the show launches on a day when there is a big breaking news story? What will Mel or Wrighty say then? However, Monkey hears that Five is planning to break a big news story of its own that day, so keep those eyes peeled.